In my journey through this series, 31 days of Discipline I want to note that I by no means have perfected any area in which I will write about, rather all are more true to my confession of needing to be more disciplined in these areas.
Scripture memory - this is one I get a little fired up over and yet fall so short of doing. I just might need to go on a rampage here for a moment... Let me begin with one of the 10 Commandments, in Exodus 20:7 it says, "You must not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The Lord your God will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name." I believe it is imperative that if you are going to call yourself a Christian, in other-words take on the name of Christ, then you need to know the Word of God! If you do not know the Word of God then you will not know how you should live. If you are not living according to God's Word then you are misusing His name. We are to honor God with our lives, in every area. Therefore if we want to honor God, we must Know Him and to Know Him you need to Know His Word.
One of my favorite verses is Psalm 119:11, "I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." You see when we memorize scripture, we are hiding God's word in our heart and when His Word is in our heart, we won't sin against God and take His name in vain.
The Bible is our foundation for life, you can not build something without first having a foundation. If you want your life to have a solid foundation you must start with learning/memorizing the Word of God.
Many people don't think they can memorize their way out of a new shopping mall let alone remember a verse in the Bile. Many say, "I have a terrible memory." But that is nonsense! Everyone memorizes all the time. You've learned to speak, haven't you? You've memorized thousands of do's and don'ts in life, right? You know your social security number, your phone number, your address, how many siblings, or children you have, how to get to work and what to do when you get there. The problem is not that people can't memorize, it's that they won't memorize.
Here's the thing, there are many different ways to memorize scripture, you just have to find what works for you.
Let me first give you 10 reasons why you should memorize scripture:
1. Jesus did it. All throughout the Gospels Jesus quoted the Old Testament. He quotes from 24 different books roughly 180 times! It is clear that He thought of the Scriptures as the ultimate authority in life and a way to understand the heart and desires of God. Why would we not follow Jesus by knowing and trusting Scripture the way he did?
2. We are called to do it. Colossians 3:16 tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tells us to bind God’s law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives. We must know Scripture first before we can teach it or apply it as God desires.
3. It renews our mind and transforms our life. Are you one of those people who has to write everything down so that you don’t forget? God knows that we cannot remember or keep his commands without being reminded of them. This is one reason he told us to renew our minds in the Scriptures daily. He already wrote down for us what we are to know.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“ Keeping the truth of Scripture fresh in our minds helps us in the transformational process that God desires.
4. It helps against temptation. In Jesus’ time of temptation in the wilderness, he countered Satan’s deceitful words with words of truth found in Scripture.
Even though Jesus is Himself the Word of God, He used the written Word of God for battling temptation.
The Psalmist understood the Word’s power in battling temptation, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11).
The Armor of God, as mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-20, only mentions one offensive weapon, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” We are given the powerful offensive weapon to cut down untruths and tempting words, putting them to death with words of truth. Knowing many Bible verses about temptation, the enemy, and the promises of God is exactly like wielding a powerful weapon during temptation. The Word has Power!
How can you combat with the power of the Word if you don’t have the Word in your heart and on your mind at all times? Do you ever feel like you are going to battle without any weapons? Fighting against temptation is just another reason for the study of Scripture and Scripture memorization.
5. It keeps your life pure, helping you live in obedience. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).
Knowing God’s Word through the memorization of Bible verses is a great way to guard your life and actions according to God’s Word. It is a preventative method for avoiding temptation because when God’s Word is fresh in your mind, you will more easily avoid temptation as it says in reason #4.
6. It makes us prosper and successful. This promise is shown in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
It is vital to remember that God’s definition of being prosperous and successful is far different from the world’s definition. This is not a guarantee that we will automatically have health and wealth, but promises of a spiritual blessing, which is so much greater.
Psalm 1 describes a man who delights in the law of the Lord by meditating on it. It goes on to say that he will prosper in all that he does and that he will be like a tree planted by streams of water.
7. You can readily encourage believers with Scripture.Memorizing Scripture and knowing the Bible give believers a great opportunity to share it with other believers and encourage them to live in obedience, fight temptation, renew their minds, and conform more to the person of Christ.
Paul exhorts the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 4:18 to be ready to encourage other believers with the truth and 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all Scripture is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. Knowing Scripture is a vital part of ministering to others.
8. You can share with unbelievers better. We are urged in 1 Peter 3:15 to always be ready to give a defense for our hope in Christ. We should memorize Scripture so we can walk unbelievers through the salvation message and help them understand their sin and need for a Savior. Speaking God’s Words instead of our own will give our message more authority and will harness the power that is in the Word of God (Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 23:29).
9. You gain a better understanding of God and his will. When we know God’s Word and obey it, we are able to experience more of God (John 14:21) and experience the freedom that comes only through obedience (John 8:31-32). Knowing God comes with a greater knowledge of His will for us. Romans 12:2 says that when we renew our minds and are transformed, we will be able to, “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
What Christian does not want a better understanding of God and His perfect will?
10. Fills your head with wisdom. The Bible is a book of tremendous wisdom that can have an impact on every area of our life. By memorizing the Scripture we are able to have that wisdom with us at all times. Luke 2:52says that even Jesus grew in wisdom during His earthly life. Why should we not do the same?
And here are just a few suggestions on how to memorize:
- Use a Scripture memory system like the Navigators’ Topical Memory System or The MacArthur Scripture Memory System. (links will take you affiliate store)
- Make your own set of verse cards on three by five cards or printed on cardstock. Take them with you where ever you go. Keep rotating through them.
- Use a buddy system where you learn Scripture together and hold each other accountable. Small groups, not just one-on-one relationships, can be a good place to employ the buddy system.
- Use music. There are plenty of Scripture memory songs for children out there. (The link will take you to our affiliate store.) Although designed for children, this music could be an easy way for us adults to learn as well. Scripture Release offers some free downloads of songs based on Scripture verses that are geared more for adults.
- Get creative and make up your own song using a Scripture verse for the lyrics.
- Write it out on a chalk or white board and erase a word and then another and then another, each time trying to say the verse with the missing words.
- Get some how-to books used for children’s ministry and make it fun for yourself using some of the game ideas suggested in them. One book in our affiliate store is 52 Ways to Teach Memory Verses. Who said adults can’t memorize verses using games and other activities?
- Use a computer program. You can find programs on the internet by using a search engine, with keywords like “scripture memory program” or “scripture memory software.” Tack on the word “free” and you will find plenty of freebies.
- Find an app for your cell phone like the VerseMinder Topical Memory System App for iPhone
. (Link is to iTunes, one of our affiliate programs.)
- Work with the same verse or passage in a variety of ways. Read it silently. Read it aloud. Study it. Write it out.
- Put some rhythm into it. Say it with emphasis on different words or syllables, clapping or tapping to each word, etc.
- Make symbols or draw pictures to represent words or phrases, either literally on paper or with mental images. Use these images to guide you through recall of the verse.
- Each time you say the verse aloud, do it differently (i.e., regular volume, a whisper, loud, fast, slow, normal speed, etc.).
- Make a recording of verses you want to memorize and take it with you in the car to play on a continuous loop as you travel.
I hope you will consider starting somewhere and embrace the richness of God's Word!
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